and if susan rice is the pick, expect john kerry tapped to be defense secretary. >> chuck todd from washington, thank you. >>> let's get a check of the rest of the morning's top stories. natalie is standing by at the news desk. natalie, good morning to you. >>> good morning, everyone. the remains of the late palestinian leader yasser arafat have been exhumed and reburied this morning as investigators look for clues as to whether or not he was poisoned. nbc's martin fletcher is on the west bank in ramallah with more. martin, good day to you. >> reporter: hi, natalie, good morning. well, it's a grim moment here at yasser arafat's shrine in ramallah, scientists picking through the bones of the palestinians' legendary leader. specimens will then be taken to lack labs in russia, france, and switzerland to try to solve the enduring mystery of his death. was yasser arafat murdered? hidden behind the wall of blue tarpaulin investigators exhume the the body of yasser arafat this morning. he was buried in a frenzy of grief eight years ago. at rest in this shrine in ramallah ever since. revered by his pe